Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Department of Education
May 2020
Table of Contents
Foreword……………………………………………………………………………………………...2
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………....3-6
I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………7-9
VI. Preparing our Teachers and School Leaders for Multiple Learning Delivery
Modalities…………………………………………………………………………………..40-41
1
Foreword
2
Executive Summary
The global outbreak of the highly contagious new strain of coronavirus known as
COVID-19, for which there is yet no vaccine, continues to pose unprecedented challenges.
At this point, the biggest impact of COVID-19 arises from the need to practice stringent
social or physical distancing to prevent or mitigate its spread. For the Department of
Education (DepEd), this meant the cancellation of classes and other school activities for
the remaining weeks of School Year (SY) 2019-2020, and that for SY 2020-2021, schools
must find ways for learning to continue amidst the threat and uncertainties brought
about by COVID-19, while ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all learners,
teachers, and personnel of the Department.
In the integration of inputs into the BE-LCP, the Office of the Secretary was guided
by the following principles:
1. Protect the health, safety and well-being of learners, teachers, and personnel,
and prevent the further transmission of COVID-19;
3. Facilitate the safe return of teaching and nonteaching personnel and learners
to workplaces and schools, taking into consideration the scenarios projected by
the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the
Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Philippines (IATF),
complemented by other credible sources, and balanced with DepEd’s own risk
assessments;
5. Link and bridge the BE-LCP to DepEd’s pivot to quality and into the future of
education, under the framework of Sulong EduKalidad and Futures Thinking in
Education.
3
In developing the BE-LCP, the Department analyzed data on basic education as
well as the epidemiological picture for the incoming school year, to make informed
decisions. It is in this light that DepEd has set the opening of SY 2020-2021 on August 24,
2020, allowing enough time to undertake the necessary preparations for the
extraordinarily challenging school year.
The key elements of the learning strategies that shall operationalize the BE-LCP
are the streamlining of the K to 12 Curriculum into the Most Essential Learning
Competencies (MELCs), and allowing of multiple learning delivery modalities such as
distance learning and blended learning, either on top or in place of face-to-face learning.
To help learners, parents, and teachers implement these learning delivery modalities,
Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) shall be made available in print and offline/online digital
formats, for use this incoming school year. DepEd shall also tap the materials developed
by various partners and entities such as Southeast Asian Ministers of Education
Organization Center for Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO-INNOTECH), BASA
Pilipinas, Knowledge Channel, Frontlearners Inc., and the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), among many others.
The learning outcomes in the form of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values will
be assessed through a portfolio/e-portfolio to include written works and performances
(and products), whether hardcopy, softcopy or a combination of these, and through
summative tests as conditions allow. The administration of national examinations shall
continue amidst COVID-19.
To prepare our teachers and school leaders for multiple learning delivery
modalities, they shall be capacitated to implement the learning delivery system,
consistent with DepEd’s professional development framework and professional
standards, and the transformation of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines
(NEAP). They will be introduced to learning delivery modalities that they can readily
utilize depending on community context and be provided with tools and mechanisms to
inform their decision-making. To ensure the seamless transition of learning activities into
formats appropriate to platforms and learning delivery modalities they will adopt,
capacity building will be implemented beginning in June until July 2020. Support
mechanisms shall also be established to provide teachers and school leaders access to on-
demand technical and administrative advice and guidance.
4
The BE-LCP has been designed with a legal framework responsive to the “new
normal”, keeping in mind the constitutional mandate to uphold the right of all citizens to
quality education at all times. The Department also reviewed and assessed the programs,
projects, and activities outlined in the plan and their corresponding budgetary
implications. The available program funds are being maximized, reprogrammed, or
realigned to the programs, projects, and activities that shall require more funding
support. However, there is still a need to provide substantial and additional financial
resources from known and potential sources of funds.
Communications shall play a major role in implementing the BE-LCP with the
appreciation and support of our key stakeholders. Communications efforts shall be
directed by the Central Office to ensure unified branding while still being anchored on
grassroots contexts to make them responsive to localized needs. Synergy and
coordination with national government media channels (Presidential Communications
Operations Office/PCOO, DOH and IATF) shall also be ensured. The setting up of new
media platforms, formation of Crisis Communications Management Team, and
development of Public Health Information Protocols shall be the focus of these efforts
anchored on the core principles of being proactive, cooperative, responsive, and highly
engaged with the multiple publics of the Department.
The decision to open classes on August 24, 2020 was made in consideration of
socio-economic factors, such as the need to: 1) avoid prolonged school disruption, which
is associated with a range of social risks for the youth; 2) encourage education-related
economic activity; and 3) resume school-managed support systems such as the School-
Based Feeding Program, among others. On the other hand, we also anticipate that
differences in socio-economic status, indicated by internet access at home and by
readiness to engage in blended or distance learning, will affect the quality of learning
during the roll-out of this learning continuity plan, and DepEd must address and mitigate
these.
5
With a learner-oriented framework, the reforms articulated in the BE-LCP are
aligned with the four pillars of Sulong Edukalidad: K to 12 curriculum review and update;
improving the learning environment; teachers’ upskilling and reskilling; and
engagement of stakeholders for support and collaboration. These pillars shall be
implemented with emphasis on INNOVATION, AGILITY, and SYNERGY. Sulong
Edukalidad, BE-LCP, and the futures of the Philippine education are united by our goals
for and with every learner: agency and self-actualization, work readiness, and
responsible citizenship. Thus, it is important that the BE-LCP shall be guided by life-long,
life-wide, life-deep, and life-wise learning principles.
The BE-LCP lays down the direction for basic education in the coming school year.
Implementation specifics will be embodied in appropriate guidelines, rules or directives,
and operationalized through programs, projects and activities.
6
I. Introduction
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) China Country
Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City,
Hubei Province of China. The cause would later be determined as a new type or strain of
coronavirus not previously detected in people. Coronavirus is named as such because of
the crown-like spikes on their surface. On February 11, 2020, the International Committee
on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) named the new coronavirus as “severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).” On the same day, WHO also announced the
name of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 as Coronavirus Disease–2019, or COVID-19.
In this document, we shall use the term COVID-19 to refer to both the virus and the
disease.
COVID-19 hit home on January 30, 2020 when WHO declared it a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern, while the Department of Health (DOH) announced
the first patient who tested positive for it here in the Philippines. Immediately on
February 1, 2020, the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary issued DepEd
Memorandum (DM) No. 11, s. 2020, creating a Task Force for the management of the
department’s response to COVID-192.
7
Because of the manner of transmission of COVID-19, practicing proper hand and
respiratory hygiene at all times remains as the most important protective measures. Our
learners have been familiar with these practices even before COVID-19, as they are
included in regular classroom instruction as a general health precaution.
But the biggest impact of COVID-19 results from the need for stringent social or
physical distancing, a key intervention that prevents or mitigates its spread. Among the
characteristics of COVID-19 that necessitate more than the basic hand and respiratory
hygiene are:
While we were fortunate that the March class suspensions happened at the tail-
end of the school year, the situation for the incoming school year will be much different.
We now face uncertainties on whether schools will be allowed to open, and under what
conditions.
This Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) responds to the directive
of the Secretary and provides guidance to the department on how to deliver education in
this time of crisis.
4Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS is the disease caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), to which the
COVID-19 virus is genetically related. SARS first infected humans in Guangdong, China in 2002, and led to an outbreak
affecting 26 countries with more than 8,000 recorded cases by 2003.
8
The BE-LCP lays down the direction for basic education in the coming school year.
Implementation specifics will be embodied in appropriate guidelines, rules, or directives,
and operationalized through programs, projects and activities.
Implementing the BE-LCP will not be easy. It is also not a perfect plan and
operational complications can be expected along the way. Thus, we seek the
understanding, support, and solidarity of our DepEd family and all our stakeholders in
the true spirit of unity and bayanihan or mutual help.
5The Philippine Forum for Inclusive Quality Basic Education, or Educ Forum, is a formation convened by DepEd consisting
of DepEd and other government agencies relevant to basic education reform, and education partners including civil
society organizations, education sector organizations, organizations and foundations coming from the private sector, and
bilateral agencies and multilateral organizations. Educ Forum is a platform for consultation, collaborative research and
analysis, and high-level advice to strategic basic education policy, planning and programming.
9
For its part, the Educ Forum members, after a meeting on April 13, 2020, organized
themselves into five Sub-Groups for focused discussions (See Table 1. Sub-Group
Themes). The Educ Forum expanded the participation in the sub-groups, to include
interested non-Educ Forum members. (See Annex “A” for participating organizations and
individuals in the Sub-Groups.) The Educ Forum submitted its consolidated inputs to
OSEC on April 27, 2020.
Responsible for identifying and analyzing data and information that will be
relevant in assessing the capacity of the basic education system, and the
Sub-Group 1:
appropriate targeting of learners, teachers and school leaders, for the
Data Analytics
continuing delivery of learning in the context of the constraints and
opportunities presented by COVID-19.
Sub-Group 2:
Responsible for identifying feasible and practical learning strategies and
Learning Strategies and
learning delivery modalities in the context of COVID 19.
Modalities
Sub-Group 3: Responsible for assessing and identifying critical and timely interventions for
Capacity of Teachers and capacitating teachers and school leaders in managing and facilitating
School Leaders learning through various learning delivery modalities and learning resources.
Sub-Group 4: Responsible for identifying the operational plan and needs at various
Operational Plan governance levels to implement the Learning Continuity Plan.
Sub-Group 5: Responsible for bridging and integrating the short term response with the
Bridging to Sulong medium and longer term education agenda for accessible quality education,
EduKalidad within the framework of Sulong EduKalidad.
The task of consolidating all inputs into the BE-LECP was undertaken by OSEC,
under the direction of the Secretary. The operational execution and integrative writing of
the consolidation was led by Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan as the Secretary’s
Chief of Staff, assisted by his team and in collaboration with the Planning Service led by
Director Roger Masapol.
While the BE-LCP was being consolidated, updates were presented in several
meetings of the ExeCom6 and the Management Committee (ManCom)7, where specific
elements of the outline of the BE-ELCP were discussed. There is also an ongoing process
for consolidating the needed budgetary adjustments arising from the BE-LCP. This
process is led jointly by Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla and Undersecretary Mateo, with
the support of the Budget Hearing–Technical Working Group.
6 The Executive Committee or ExeCom of DepEd consists of the Secretary and all Undersecretaries and Assistant
Secretaries.
7 The Management Committee or ManCom includes the Execom, all Central Office Bureau and Service Directors, and all
10
While all submitted inputs are supported by their respective data, relevant past
studies, discussions, and experience of the contributors, OSEC also supplied further
information based on documents from various inter-agency processes relating to COVID-
19, discussions in the ExeCom and ManCom meetings, and research.
1. Protect the health, safety, and well-being of learners, teachers and personnel,
and prevent the further transmission of COVID-19;
3. Facilitate the safe return of teaching and non-teaching personnel and learners
to workplaces and schools, taking into consideration the scenarios projected by
the DOH and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging
Infectious Diseases in the Philippines (IATF), complemented by other credible
sources, and balanced with DepEd’s own risk assessments;
5. Link and bridge the BE-LCP to DepEd’s pivot to quality and into the future of
education, under the framework of Sulong EduKalidad and Futures Thinking in
Education.
The Pre-COVID Baseline. In the time of COVID-19, the concern over basic
education lies in the magnitude of moving and congregating learners, teachers, and
education personnel nationwide.
Based on the enrollment in the recently concluded School Year (SY) 2019-2020,
basic education has a total enrollment of 27,770,263 learners from Kindergarten to Grade
12. Excluding the 21,786 enrollees in Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs), it comes to a
total of 27,748,477 learners in the country, of which 22,572,923 are accounted for by DepEd
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schools. (See Table 2: Total Enrollment in K to 12, SY 2019-2020.) The breakdown of the
enrollment in formal basic education by regions is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Regional Distribution of Enrollment in Formal K to 12, Public and Private, SY 2019-2020
Enrollment
Regions
Male Female Total
Region I 665,095 625,976 1,291,071
Region II 457,377 439,125 896,502
Region III 1,490,979 1,424,475 2,915,454
Region IV-A 1,958,258 1,875,022 3,833,280
Region IV-B 453,606 434,553 888,159
Region V 913,745 872,011 1,785,756
Region VI 1,049,509 996,572 2,046,081
Region VII 1,061,361 1,022,160 2,083,521
Region VIII 643,668 617,642 1,261,310
Region IX 524,819 515,105 1,039,924
Region X 665,911 645,346 1,311,257
Region XI 687,019 671,807 1,358,826
Region XII 642,492 630,942 1,273,434
CARAGA 397,768 379,087 776,855
BARMM 430,564 460,421 890,985
CAR 223,896 215,999 439,895
NCR 1,478,928 1,437,367 2,916,295
Grand Total 13,744,995 13,263,610 27,008,605
Source: DepEd
In addition to the learners, the DepEd employs over 900,000 regular personnel, of
which more than 800,000 are teachers. There are also about 10,000 contract of service
personnel in the various offices of DepEd nationwide. To this, we add some 300,000
private school teachers and personnel. (See Tables 4, 5 and 6)
Thus, in all, basic education directly accounts for nearly 30 million learners,
teachers, and personnel, not counting the ancillary services supporting the education
12
system including transport, food, and other services. This 30-million figure represents
about 27.8 percent of the estimated 108 million current Philippine population and is 20
percent higher than the total number of people employed in the services sector, the
biggest employer of the country’s labor force.
Source: DepEd
13
Table 5. DepEd Contract of Service Personnel, as of April 2020.
The Epidemiological Picture for the Incoming School Year. Since WHO declared
COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern, the government has acted
decisively to contain its spread through various measures such as restrictions on
international travel, managed repatriation of Filipinos from COVID-19 affected countries,
declaration of state of public health emergency throughout the country, imposition of
health standards and community quarantine, improvement in the health system capacity,
effective enforcement, and provision of social amelioration to economically vulnerable
households.
The most important measure by far was the imposition of an enhanced community
quarantine (ECQ) over Luzon involving strict home quarantine for all households,
suspension of public transportation, and suspension of business operations except those
providing basic necessities and other expressly exempted activities. The ECQ was
14
initially imposed for 28 days from March 17 to April 13, extended up to April 30, and
imposed in identified high risk areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with the areas
not on ECQ placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until May 15.
The ECQ intended to slow down or contain the outbreak while buying time for
the health system to improve its capacity for containment and management of COVID-
19 post-ECQ. This is illustrated in Figure 1, which is borrowed and modified from an
undated PowerPoint presentation titled “COVID-19 Estimates for Philippine Provinces
and Highly-Urbanized Cities” by the Bioinformatics and Modeling Group of the
University of the Philippines COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team. As shown, the
imposition of the ECQ brings the infection trajectory to a downward slope. However, the
ECQ cannot go on indefinitely until full containment given the huge economic and social
costs of its imposition. During this period of the ECQ, the government can undertake
measures to improve the health system’s capacity and to allow all sectors to put in place
the required health standards that can bring down the epidemic peak level, or what is
now commonly referred to as “flattening the curve,” for when ECQ is relaxed or lifted.
Figure 1
Period
Note: Lifted with modification to reflect the ECQ extensions, from an undated PowerPoint
presentation by the Bioinformatics and Modeling Group of the University of the Philippines
COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team titled “COVID-19 Estimates for Philippine Provinces and
Highly-Urbanized Cities”.
There is evidence of the positive impact of the ECQ on containing the outbreak.
The Leading Evidence-based Actions through Data Science (LEADS) for Health Security and
Resilience, a consortium of professionals from the academe, civil society, and the private
sector8 doing data science and analytics on COVID-19 in the Philippines, has provided a
chart (Figure 2) showing declining estimates of the time-varying reproduction number
8 See http://covid19.psphp.org/#whoWeare.
15
(Rt) of the COVID-19 infection. The time-varying reproduction number measures, at a
particular point in time, the average number of secondary cases that each infected
individual can infect at the prevailing conditions at that particular point in time. Pre-
ECQ, the estimated Rt ranged between 3 to 4, but this has gone down to an estimated 1.15
as of May 3, 2020.
Figure 2.
Still, the question for basic education is what happens beyond the current ECQ
period ending on May 15, 2020. What is the epidemiological picture that we are looking
at, to allow us to make informed plans and decisions for the incoming school year, which
usually starts on the first Monday of June?
There are two aspects of the COVID-19 epidemiological picture that are of interest
to DepEd in relation to school operations and school opening. The first is the general
epidemiological projections that will enable DepEd to ascertain scenarios to prepare for.
The second is the specific risk factors for infection among school-aged children, especially
in a school setting, that will enable DepEd to come up with sector-specific, evidence-
based risk assessment and risk-mitigation and response measures.
16
Available general epidemiological projections9 point to the reality that COVID-19
is not yet fully contained. In Figure 2, the lifting or relaxation of ECQ will represent a big
change in conditions that will expectedly raise Rt again. Its containment will then depend
on the ability to detect and isolate infected individuals, and on other measures that will
mitigate exposure to an infected person. Even if we are able to contain COVID-19 in the
country, the pandemic is still on globally, and can be reintroduced from outside. (See
Figure 3 on pandemic) Thus, outbreak resurgence remains possible.
Figure 3. Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases by date of report and WHO region, 30 December 2019
through 5 May 2020
With respect to specific risk factors for infection among school-aged children in
the school setting, we have no current basis in the Philippines since classes were
suspended at the early stages of the local transmission. However, the incidence of
9By their nature, models will have their respective assumptions, input parameters, and unknowns, so that projections
will generally vary in terms of forecast magnitude and periods of the epidemic peak. While there remain uncertainties
and divergences with respect to what will actually unfold, they nonetheless provide us with evidence-based ideas of
what the possibilities are.
17
confirmed cases among the basic education school ages (5 to 17 years old) is low relative
to the older age groups, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Age and Sex Distribution of Confirmed COVID-19 Case in the Philippines, data as of May 5,
2020
18
● Another study from China found that only five percent of all cases
reported were in children aged one to 16 years (median age of eight
years). Twenty-eight (28) percent of the patients were asymptomatic and
47 percent only displayed mild symptoms. There were no deaths in this
age group. The mode of transmission in 89 percent of the cases were from
close family contact.”
The role children play in transmission in the school setting needs further study,
but DepEd acknowledges the high volume of contact and high degree of contact intensity
in the school setting. Add to this the magnitude of the population directly covered by the
sector, and the opening of schools become a potential hotspot for transmission and a
public health concern in general.
10EO 112 dated April 30, 2020 is titled Imposing an Enhanced Community Quarantine in High-Risk Geographic Areas of
the Philippines and a General Community Quarantine in the Rest of the Country from 01 May to 15 May 2020, Adopting
the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation Thereof, and for Other Purposes
19
The DOH Risk Severity Grading is divided into Low, Moderate, and High based
on a classification tool that takes into account the case doubling rate and critical care
utilization rate. For Moderate and High severity gradings, schools are required to remain
closed. For Low Risk severity grading, closure of schools is “Can Do,” or optional. We
take it that the option will be exercised by DepEd, based on its risk assessment and
feasibility of risk mitigation and response measures. (See Table 7.)
1. Full containment is not yet attained, given the Philippine projections and the
fact that the pandemic is still raging.
3. In Low Risk areas where schools may be allowed to open, physical distancing
will still be required, resulting in an adjustment in class size.
20
Table 7. DOH Risk Severity Grading and Risk-based Public Health Standards
21
DepEd’s Readiness for Distance Learning. Given the epidemiological picture, the
direction of overall government response, and the directive of the Secretary to find ways
for learning to continue in a safe and healthy environment amid COVID-19, it is clear
that distance learning will be a key modality of learning delivery in the incoming school
year.
On this aspect, one obvious limitation lies in the current stage of development of
the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure. In the Global
Connectivity Index published by Huawei, which annually ranks 79 nations based on
factors including ICT investment, ICT maturity, and digital economic performance, the
Philippines ranked 59th and is categorized as a “Starter.” Meanwhile, on the side of the
end-user there is the question of access to the platform and the availability of the
appropriate gadgets.
Within the public school system, there are 1,042,575 devices (desktops, laptops,
tablets) that are distributed across 44,155 or 93 percent of schools. Among these devices,
459,578 are laptops/tablets that may be brought home, which represents only 2 percent
of total learners in the public schools. Some 22,645 or 48 percent of public schools have
internet connections. Another 8,478 or 18 percent of public schools are located in areas
with Internet Service Providers, but they have not yet connected.
● Access to the internet is a major limiting factor to online learning. This can be
mitigated by loading digital materials into the devices of learners.
22
● Senior high school vocational tracks have classes that require hands-on
sessions in laboratories that may not be applicable in home-based approaches
even with technology.
● DepEd has migrated its systems into Cloud Servers that can be scaled up to
meet the increasing demand for technology-based education.
Based on an online survey that DepEd conducted to get a sense of what its
immediate stakeholders think about distance learning, these are the results: from 789,690
respondents (53 percent school personnel, 31 percent parents/guardians, and 16 percent
learners), overall 46 percent of the respondents said they are open to having lessons and
class activities either online or on television or radio. Interestingly, the parents and
guardians are the most open with 59 percent responding that they are open to this kind
of distance learning. Among the school personnel respondents, 41 percent are open while
from the learners, 35 percent of the respondents are open to it. This presents a major
communication challenge for DepEd, and a need to improve the degree of openness to
technology-based distance learning platforms. (See Figure 5.)
There is still a preference for face-to-face learning delivery across all respondents.
On the question of readiness to send learners to school with strict observance of social
distancing, 66 percent of school personnel, 58 percent of parents/guardians, and 61
percent of learners expressed readiness. (See Figure 6.)
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Figure 6. Willingness to Come to School with Social Distancing
DepEd also conducted a survey among its teachers on their readiness for distance
education. A memorandum was disseminated to the field with a survey template, and
the responses were consolidated by the Planning and Research Unit of the Schools
Division Offices (SDOs) and analyzed by the Planning Service in the CO. DepEd was able
to obtain responses from 787,066 teachers nationwide, across the various key stages of
basic education. (See Figure 7)
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In terms of ownership of laptops and desktops at home, of the 787,066 teacher
respondents, 687,911 or 87 percent of the teachers indicated that they have available
computers (laptop or desktop) at home, while 99,155 or 13 percent of the teachers have
no computer at home. (See Figure 8.)
25
Distance learning is not new to DepEd. We have existing Alternative Delivery
Modalities (ADMs) in the formal schools, which are not confined to online or digital
platforms. However, the scale of deployment of these ADMs is small, and now is the first
time that these will be employed on a large scale, thus presenting key operational
challenges in implementation.
After consultations and internal discussions, DepEd has reached a decision to set
the opening of SY 2020-2021 on August 24, 2020. However, the days in August prior to
the formal school opening will be used to orient learners on the utilization of alternative
learning delivery modalities and corresponding learners’ materials, and mental health
and psychosocial support activities. These pre-opening activities devoted to the
attainment of the learning objectives for the school year shall be counted as part of the
class days. The school year will end on April 30, 2021.
We emphasize that the school opening will not necessarily mean traditional face-
to-face learning in the classroom. As indicated in the previous section, the physical
opening of schools will depend on the risk severity grading of a locality. Even in areas
where schools are allowed to open, physical distancing will still be required, which will
necessitate schools to combine face-to-face learning with distance learning, or blended
learning.
Schools shall conduct enrollment from June 1 to 30, 2020 for all learners intending
to attend SY 2020-2021. Those who have enrolled during the early registration period will
have to enroll again, given that circumstances have changed substantially. It is important
to validate the enrollment, so that teachers and schools are able to adequately plan the
organization of their learners into classes, taking into consideration their particular
circumstances. The enrollment may be done electronically or in printed format. The
enrollees and their parents or guardians have to accomplish an enrollment and survey
form that will collect important data and information for the contextualization of the
learning delivery strategies and modalities.
The push back in the formal school opening by nearly three months from the
traditional first Monday of June is intended to afford DepEd enough time to undertake
the necessary preparations in what will be an extraordinarily challenging school year. For
this purpose, teachers shall start rendering service on June 1, 2020. They will attend
orientation and training activities on the use of the multiple learning delivery modalities,
prepare instructional materials, and plan the organization of classes in consideration of
the learning delivery modalities to be employed. If a skeleton workforce will still be the
operative government guideline by June, DepEd shall issue the appropriate alternative
26
work arrangements guidelines to the field to comply with prevailing policy and to ensure
a safe work environment.
Because of the shortened school year, the Secretary is exercising her prerogative to
authorize distance learning activities on Saturdays. Overall, the total class days in this
year’s school calendar and activities will be 203 days.
Private schools will be allowed to open classes within the period authorized by
law, which is on the first Monday of June, but not later than the last day of August.
However, no face-to-face classes will be allowed earlier than August 24, 2020, and from
then on only in areas where schools are allowed to open physically. The private schools
will also submit their respective Learning Continuity Plan and compliance to required
health standards that will be issued by DepEd, consistent with guidelines from the DOH,
the IATF, or the Office of the President.
A copy of the School Calendar and Activities for SY 2020-2021 is attached for further
details (Annex “B”). The enrollment and survey form are enclosed in the school calendar.
Major adjustments are being made at the central and field levels to enable DepEd
to deliver distance learning at a magnitude never done before. While the task is daunting,
it also compels the Department to implement innovations already being done by DepEd
and by its education partners, just on a larger scale. Thus, we are not really starting from
scratch.
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This section describes the key elements of the learning strategies learning delivery
modalities and that will operationalize the BE-LCP. Some of these constitute parameters,
while others are intended to be options and resources that our field units from the
regions, divisions, and schools can deploy, taking into consideration their respective
conditions and realities on the ground.
These are work in progress, for refinement and fleshing out in the run-up to the
formal school opening, and during the school year itself.
The DepEd Curriculum and Instruction strand, through the Bureau of Curriculum
Development, has identified within the full K to 12 curriculum the Most Essential
Learning Competencies (MELCs), hereto attached as Annex “C”. This has streamlined
the total number of competencies in all learning areas from Kindergarten to Grade 12
(excluding the technical-vocational-livelihood/TVL specializations in Senior High
School) to 5,689 from the original 14,171 or a reduction by 60 percent. (See Table 8 and
Figure 10.)
28
Figure 10. Streamlining of K to 12 Curriculum into the Most Essential Learning Competencies
Source: DepEd
The MELCs are defined as the competencies that a learner needs in order to
continue to subsequent grades, and ultimately to have a successful life. The
characteristics of the MELCs are:
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c. They are applicable to real-life situations.
d. They are important for students to acquire, even if a student drops out from
school.
Releasing the MELCs does not necessarily replace the use of the curriculum guides
(CGs). Rather, these serve as a supplementary guide for teachers as they address the
instructional needs of learners. The content and performance standards are indicated in
Annex “C” for field implementers to recognize that the MELCs are anchored on the
prescribed K to 12 standards.
There shall be a follow-up issuance to further explain how the MELCs should be
used, and to clarify its status in relation to the ongoing broader K to 12 curriculum review.
The learning delivery modalities that schools can adopt may be one or a
combination of the following, depending on the COVID-19 restrictions and the particular
context of the learners in the school or locality.
1. Face-to-face. This refers to a learning delivery modality where the students and
the teacher are both physically present in the classroom, and there are
opportunities for active engagement, immediate feedback, and socio-
emotional development of learners.
In areas under the Moderate and High-risk severity grading, this is not
possible. However, there are learners with disabilities whose conditions
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require face-to-face instruction. This will be the subject of further discussion
within DepEd, with partners, and with parents.
Face-to-face option may also be feasible in very low risk areas such as the
geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and conflict affected areas (GIDCA)
with no history of infection and with easily monitored external contacts, but
with teachers and learners living in the vicinity of the school.
Any face-to-face learning delivery must have proper risk assessment and must
adhere to the health protocols in place. Potential learning spaces in the
community near the school may be explored to add spaces for the conduct of
classes with the appropriate social distancing.
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technologies. The DepEd Commons and DepEd Learning Resource (LR) Portal
fall in this category.
Critical for implementation will be the production of the needed teacher’s and
learner’s learning materials (DepEd LR Portal and DepEd Commons will be
maximized), as well as the support of media institutions like TV and radio
stations.
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● School Context
- Health status of teachers
- Readiness of principals and supervisors to lead and manage multiple
learning delivery modalities
- Availability of learning resources/materials: Textbooks/print modules;
offline learning resources; online learning resources; educational TV and
radio broadcast resources
- Teachers’ readiness and capacity to facilitate multiple learning delivery
modalities
● Learners’ Context
- Capacity to complete self-directed learning resources
- Access to learning resources and technology
- Parental, home, and community support
- Capacity to guide learners in understanding lessons
C. Learning Resources
SLMs in PDF Flat shall be uploaded to the DepEd LR Portal while the SLMs in
digital interactive, inclusive e-books, and video lessons shall be uploaded to DepEd
Commons. SLMs will also be converted to video-taped lessons and radio scripts for radio-
based instructions.
Primer Lessons for Grade 1, Story books through Competition Writing, Grade 1 English -
Grade 1 to 3 Activity Sheets, Learning Materials (LMs) and Teacher’s Guides (TGs)
Grade 4 to 6 LMs & TGs for Grade 4, Teacher’s Manuals (TMs) and Textbook (TXs) for Grades 5 & 6
TXs & TMs, LMs & TGs, Readers, Manuals, PRIMALS PLUS Self-Learning Modules for
Grade 11-12 Core Subjects
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● Self-learning modules for ADM crafted by all regions from Kindergarten to
Grade 12 core subjects plus applied subjects covering all essential learning
competencies
● Self-learning modules for SHS core learning areas developed under PRIMALS
Plus. The Bureua of Learning Delivery is also working on the development of
modules for applied subjects and specialized subjects.
● 2016 Grade 5 buffer materials for all learning areas. There are activity sheets
based on the CG.
For K to 3
● Primer lessons for Grade 1 (TG, LM, Formative Assessment Tool/FAT) for
teaching beginning reading in the mother tongue to be made available in print,
digital (available in DepEd LR portal), and audio format. This should be
accompanied by big books and small books in digital and audio format with
consideration to the mother tongue of the learners to develop and enhance the
learner’s skills in beginning reading in mother tongue.
● Primer lessons for Grades 2 and 3 (TG and LM) to be made available in print
(Primer Grade 2-for finalization, Primer Grade 3-for development for 2020),
digital, and audio format as bridging materials for smooth transition in
reading from L1 (mother tongue), to L2 (Filipino) then L3 (English). This
should be accompanied by big books and small books in digital and audio
format with consideration to the mother tongue of the learners.
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During our scan of existing learning resources, we have also found a body of
learning resources across various distance learning approaches and platforms developed
by non-DepEd entities. DepEd will explore ways to deploy a number of these resources,
subject to content evaluation and through arrangements consistent with existing laws,
rules, and regulations.
D. Strategies for K to 3
F. Assessment
The learning outcomes in the form of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values will
be assessed. Learners shall prepare their portfolio/e-portfolio to include written works,
and performances (and products), whether hardcopy, softcopy, or a combination of both.
The portfolio/e-portfolio content will be assessed using rubrics that capture the evidence
of learning. Testimonies of parents and other adults including community leaders aside
from teachers may also be considered in the assessment.
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Where face-to-face learning and blended learning is possible, summative tests will
be administered in school. For learners who are on distance learning, summative tests
may be administered when physical classes shall be allowed in their respective areas.
DepEd shall issue specific guidelines on assessments taking into consideration the
physical limitations imposed by COVID-19.
The overall goal of the learning continuity plan for ALS is to sustain the gains of
the Duterte administration in the delivery of quality and relevant second chance basic
education programs for out-of-school youth and adults while ensuring the health and
safety of both learners and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the transition
to the “new normal”.
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● The existing modules for the advanced Elementary and Secondary levels are
instructionally designed to support self-learning, e.g. they are grouped into
manageable lessons with pre- and post-tests, have self-directed learning
activities, and are written in conversational/interactive style. These modules
can serve as the primary source of content delivery. Other available materials
can also be used for supplemental learning. Learners can report to the
Community Learning Center (CLC) on an agreed staggered schedule to pick
up copies of modules, which they can study independently throughout the
week. During their weekly CLC visit, they shall return completed modules for
use by other learners. ALS teachers will need to devise a modified library
system to manage the borrowing of modules by learners.
● The ALS teachers shall assign weekly assessment tasks for evaluating their
learning progress. The module post-tests can be used for this purpose and
supplemented by other teacher-made assessments. The module post-tests can
be supervised by the ALS teacher during their weekly CLC visit, or by parents,
peer learners, or learners’ siblings. It is important for learners to practice their
writing and higher order thinking skills. To achieve this, ALS teachers can send
questions via text message or other messaging platforms that learners can
answer. Learners will be given writing tasks on the modules and should be
encouraged to submit a weekly written learning reflection. The writing tasks
are expected to train learners to practice higher order thinking skills, as they
document the new knowledge and skills they have gained, the learning
challenges they faced, and what parts of the module they did not fully
understand and need additional help for from their teacher. These reflection
papers and other learning outputs should be discussed with the ALS teacher
during the weekly CLC visit.
● During the week, ALS teachers may provide remote learning support by
answering queries, giving feedback, and providing socio-emotional support to
learners through social media platforms.
● Peer learning can also be introduced. Learners can organize online or social
media groups. If learners live near each other, and their LGU allows small
gatherings, they could meet in pairs/triads to discuss their learning activities.
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● The working folder/portfolio will continue to play a very important role in
ALS. The teacher will review the portfolio outputs, learning journal/notebook
entries, and reflection papers with individual students and agree on the
following week’s learning contract deliverables and learning strategies.
2) Face-to-face learning sessions for lower elementary and basic literacy level
learners
• Basic literacy and lower elementary level learners need more face-to-face
facilitator-aided support than advanced elementary and secondary ALS
learners. It is difficult to provide this learning support remotely given the
weak literacy skills of BL and LE level learners. ALS teachers who wish to
continue offering basic literacy and lower elementary A&E classes will have
to conduct these face-to-face learning sessions on an agreed schedule with
learners in an appropriate learning environment.
• ALS teachers will need to prepare a class program, and set a maximum
number of learners per session that complies with the physical distancing
requirements.
• For RBI, DepEd has developed some audio materials and scripts that ALS
teachers can access, download, and store. ALS teachers are also encouraged
to develop their own radio scripts based on the ALS K to 12 Basic Education
Curriculum (BEC) to be quality-assured by the Schools Division ALS focal
person and learning resource supervisor. They would then need to
coordinate with their local community radio to secure airtime for broadcast
of radio-based materials.
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4) Online learning for learners with gadgets and access to the internet
● ALS teachers can also save the soft copies of ALS modules in the mobile phones
or mobile devices of their learners, if available or when circumstances allow.
Assessment. For the conduct of Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) test, the
Bureau of Education Assessment shall release further guidance on its administration. To
better prepare the ALS learners in the A&E test, the ALS Task Force has developed an
A&E readiness test to be administered in CLCs or an agreed venue by the ALS Teachers
and learners. A memorandum shall be issued on the details of said test.
Learners’ support. For the learners, guidance and career support services shall be
introduced to help address academic and psychological issues affecting learning. Such
services will help prepare learners for their options after undergoing ALS, specifically in
their transition to employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship, or continuing
education.
Learning environment. It is proposed that ALS learners use existing formal school
facilities not only to ensure that social distancing protocols are observed, but also to
provide access to WASH facilities for ALS learners. For CLCs that will still be used,
disinfecting and sanitizing products should be provided.
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H. Establishing a Committee for the Development, Acquisition, and Deployment of
Learning Resources
VI. Preparing Our Teachers and School Leaders for Multiple Learning Delivery
Modalities
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitant challenges, DepEd, through
the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), affirms its commitment to
providing and supporting the professional development of teachers and school leaders.
Our teachers and school leaders shall be capacitated to implement and manage the
adoption of multi-modal learning delivery models based on their technology resources
map, readiness assessment results, and implementation plans. They will be introduced
to a range of delivery modalities they can utilize depending on the context of their
community and the situation of learners and teachers. Tools and mechanisms will also
be provided for them to make informed decisions on appropriate learning delivery mode
for their context. Context includes geographical conditions, access to delivery platforms
(i.e. online, broadcast technology, and modules), readiness of learners, teachers and
household and community partners, and other relevant factors.
There will also be efforts to train teachers in identifying and assisting children
under vulnerable conditions, and in protecting them from violence and harm in the
various contexts of the school, home as school, and the cyber world. These children
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include victims or at risk of child abuse and bullying, children under conflict-afflicted
areas, children in disaster-prone areas, gifted children, and other learners at risk of
learning discontinuity because of socio-economic factors, among others. Proper attention
must be given to these learners, as under normal conditions they already face enough,
limiting their ability to catch up with the other students. Otherwise, students with
learning disabilities may lag further behind the rest of the learner population. These
strategies shall ensure that teachers can seamlessly transition their learning activities into
formats that are appropriate to the platforms and modalities that they will adopt and
implement.
In line with the fourth pillar of Sulong EduKalidad which is to increase the
engagement of stakeholders for support and collaboration, DepEd, through the issuance
of DM No. 048, s. 2020, called for proposals for professional development programs and
courses from both DepEd units and non-DepEd Learning Service Providers. This opens
to non-DepEd learning service providers the opportunity to contribute to the education
of our children. DepEd also issued DM No. 050, s. 2020 which provided professional
development priorities for teachers and school leaders for the school year 2020-2023,
which includes training programs in light of COVID-19 for the incoming school year.
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VII. Operationalizing the Learning Continuity Plan
In accordance with the DOH Guidelines on the Risk-Based Public Health Standards for
COVID-19 Mitigation (DOH AO No. 2020-0015), DepEd will issue guidelines on its
Required Health Standards for the adoption and guidance of all public and private schools
and DepEd offices. This will cover the four COVID-19 mitigation objectives identified by
the DOH, namely:
2. Reduce transmission
3. Reduce contact
Additional references also guide the development of the DepEd required health
standards, such as:
● Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Interim Guidance for Administrators
of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (2020)11, which provides
recommendations for a holistic approach to required health standards. A
holistic approach should include a communication strategy, community
engagement, and health protocols that should be adopted by schools. It also
details actions to be taken in situations where there is community transmission,
among others.
● Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Health Security,
Public Health Principles for a Phased Reopening During COVID-19: Guidance for
11 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-schools-h.pdf
42
Governors (2020) 12 provides a breakdown of risks involved in various settings,
including schools.
The DepEd required health standards shall put strong emphasis on the need to
protect and promote the mental health and general welfare of all learners and DepEd
personnel across all risk severity gradings. Mental health interventions that increase
resilience include mental health and psychosocial support, such as psychological first aid
(PFA), in-house counseling sessions, online counseling, and support groups. Learners in
particular shall be given PFA within the first month of the resumption of classes.
Reduce transmission. Given that the virus has not yet been fully contained,
DepEd shall ensure that its facilities are ready to receive students and personnel, and that
they follow stringent social distancing measures as well as strengthen programs
promoting hygiene. Compliance to the standards set in DO No. 10, s. 2016 titled Policy
and Guidelines for the Comprehensive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools (WINS)
Program shall be strictly observed. Though the program has been targeted for schools, the
same standards shall be applied in the offices, such as provision of adequate clean water
and soap for handwashing as well as alcohol or sanitizers. In addition to the current
programs in place, the following measures shall also be implemented:
12 https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2020/200417-reopening-guidance-
governors.pdf
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● There shall be designated isolation areas, aligned with the standards set by
DOH, for school and offices
● All students, teachers, and personnel who will be entering the school/office
premises shall use cloth masks
● Teachers shall regularly and closely monitor the health of their students
These health and safety standards shall not only be observed in schools and offices,
but during travel and in their private activities as well to reduce risk of exposure and
transmission.
Reduce contact. As already set through DepEd Task Force COVID-19 (DTFC)
Memorandum No. 025 s.2020 and other related issuances, DepEd shall continue to
implement strict physical distancing at Central and Field Offices. Non-essential travel
and activities will be limited. In addition, temporary barriers will be installed between
cubicles.
There shall be restrictions on mass gatherings that would require close contact,
such as flag ceremonies and face-to-face office meetings. Any or a combination of work-
from-home, skeleton/physically reporting workforce, or other alternative work
arrangements shall be put in place pursuant to Civil Service Commission (CSC)
Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 10 series of 2020 (Revised Interim Guidelines for
Alternative Work Arrangements & Support Mechanisms for Workers in the Government During
the Period of State of National Emergency Due to COVID-19 Pandemic). Whenever work-
from-home arrangements are not possible, other efforts to maintain social distancing,
such as limiting the number of individuals who can eat in the pantry at a given time, will
also be in place.
In areas with low-risk severity, schools will be permitted to hold classes through
the face-to-face modality. Class size shall be reduced to 15 to 20 learners in a classroom.
Classrooms shall maximize available ventilation. Moreover, as discussed more
comprehensively in another portion of this LCP, a combination of different learning
delivery modalities shall be implemented on top of or to replace face-to-face learning
delivery in order to reduce possible exposure of learners and teachers. All activities
involving a large congregation of learners are cancelled in the coming school year.
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Reduce duration of infection. In order to reduce the duration of infection of
COVID-19, detection and isolation of symptomatic individuals must be ensured in all
schools and offices. Pursuant to DM No. 15, s. 2020, (First Set of Policy Directives of the
DepEd Task Force nCoV) the Preventive Alert System in Schools (PASS) shall remain in
operation to be able to identify possible cases. The said memorandum further stated that
students, teachers, and personnel who are exhibiting symptoms shall immediately be
referred to the school health personnel or nearest barangay/municipal/city health center
for evaluation or referral to a hospital for possible testing.
The DepEd Task Force COVID-19, created through DM No. 11, s. 2020, shall
continue to lead the overall efforts of the Department in addressing the
challenges of COVID-19 through policy recommendations and strategy
development. It shall monitor compliance with the DepEd Required Health
Standards, DOH guidelines, and other relevant policy directives in relation to
COVID-19. It shall also perform other functions and activities as may be
necessary to carry out their mandate, or as the Secretary may direct.
2. Communications plan
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In disseminating relevant mental health and preventive and safety
information, support, and response in the midst of COVID-19, the Public
Affairs Service (PAS) shall work closely with the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Service (DRRMS), Quick Response and Recovery Team (QRRT),
Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division (BLSS-SHD), and
other DepEd units.
The Department, through the DepEd Task Force COVID-19, has been issuing
internal situation reports regularly to all DepEd units. These reports contain
updated statistics of infected persons nationally, zeroing in on infected persons
within the Department, the latest actions taken by the Department in support
of COVID-19 mitigation, and the latest issuances related to COVID-19, among
others. The report also aims to keep all DepEd units informed about the latest
development in the Department in relation to COVID-19 situation and to
ensure that all actions being undertaken are unified.
The DepEd Required Health Standards will be released through a DepEd issuance
detailing the health and safety standards for schools and offices discussed above.
Upon recommendation by the SDOs, after consultation with the schools under
their respective jurisdictions, the RDs shall decide on the learning delivery modalities
deemed appropriate in the context of the local conditions and consistent with the COVID-
19 guidelines and regulations.
We have great trust in our field officials, school leaders and teachers, particularly
in their resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness in delivering instruction. Our schools
and field offices are very much mindful of the Secretary’s direction to pivot to quality
under the framework of Sulong EduKalidad, and we are confident that our own frontliners
will ensure that the quality of education will be enhanced rather than sacrificed.
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schools may take in order to arrive at the best decisions regarding the use of educational
technology to address their particular situation.
Brigada Eskwela and Oplan Balik Eskwela, the annual activities of DepEd to prepare
for the school opening, will be reconfigured to fully assist the preparation of stakeholders
in the roll-out of the BE-LCP. Brigada Eskwela and Oplan Balik Eskwela will be undertaken
from June 1, 2020 to August 29, 2020.
Brigada Eskwela. The original schedule of the 2020 Brigada Eskwela on May 18-23,
2020 as provided in DM No. 32, s.2020, is postponed. DepEd, through the External
Partnerships Service (EPS), shall now be implementing a longer national schools’
preparation through Brigada Eskwela from June 1 to August 29, 2020. However, under the
Brigada Eskwela Plus, the partnership initiatives shall be implemented throughout the
school year. This will contribute to the readiness not only of the school facilities but also
of the learners, teaching and non-teaching personnel, school administrators, and
community.
Regional offices (RO) and schools division offices (SDO) may hold their own
virtual kick-off ceremonies during the Kick-Off Week from June 1-6, 2020 to launch the
Brigada Eskwela in their respective areas after the national kick-off program. If ROs and
SDOs opt to hold their kick-off, it shall be conducted as Brigada Eskwela Forum which may
involve the following activities:
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6. Discussion on the basic roles and responsibilities of different sectors, including
parents; and
The national schools’ maintenance week, which includes cleaning, minor repairs,
repainting, beautification, landscaping, electrical works and installations, and other
activities may still be done two weeks before the opening of classes in public schools,
depending on the prevailing ECQ/GCQ situation.
All RDs and Schools Division Superintendents (SDSs) shall mobilize their
partnerships focal persons to effectively implement Brigada Eskwela in all public
elementary and secondary schools. Involved community and local stakeholders shall
strictly comply with protocols on social distancing and regulated gathering of
people/volunteers in schools consistent with the IATF health protocols, DOH protection
protocols, local quarantine rules and all other relevant protocols outlined in DepEd
issuances and subsequent DepEd Task Force COVID-19 issuances. It is also important to
note that no volunteer with COVID-19-like symptoms like fever, dry cough, and colds
shall be allowed to participate in Brigada Eskwela.
Below is the modified schedule of activities for the 2020 Brigada Eswkela:
Activity Schedule
Pre-implementation Stage (activities adjusted Up to May 31, 2020
on account of the COVID-19 situation)
National Brigada Eskwela Media/Online Kick- June 1, 2020
off Program
Regional/Division Kick-off Program (Optional) During Brigada Eskwela Kick-off Week
from June 1-6, 2020
Brigada Eskwela Implementation and June 1 to August 29, 2020
Monitoring of Schools
Submission of Brigada Eskwela By Divisions: September 24, 2020
Accomplishment Reports By Regions: October 30, 2020
The 2020 Brigada Eskwela activities shall highlight partnership initiatives that
complement the Department's efforts for ensuring that quality education will continue,
despite the challenges in adapting to the “new normal”. Aside from the usual activities
conducted in the past Brigada Eskwela, school heads shall endeavor to conduct the
following related initiatives:
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2. The EPS, RO/SDO partnership focal persons, and school heads shall engage
partners in raising the availability of the following items in school during Brigada
Eskwela:
● Thermal scanners;
● Printing of materials and provision of supplies for remote learning for the
learners, teachers and parents (i.e. bond papers, worksheets, notebooks,
pad paper, ball pens, pencils, crayons, coloring materials and others).
3. The school heads shall ensure that psychological first aid or other psychological
interventions, together with debriefing, are conducted in partnership with
stakeholders during the implementation of Brigada Eskwela.
4. Orientation activities with teachers, partners, PTA, and learners on BE-LCP shall
focus on the implementation of DepEd’s multiple learning delivery modalities.
● Engage parents in the promotion of the new school system. The new role
and increased involvement of the parents in the learning of their children
are essential in augmenting available resources and technology in the
community.
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● Engage partners in the promotion and provision of learning delivery
options such as local radio/TV stations and other available media, which
can help in distance or blended learning, and can be a form of partnership
initiative to deliver the curriculum. The school heads may identify
resources necessary for high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech aide for learning to
engage other partners.
6. Update their school emergency and contingency plans, and communicate to all
stakeholders how they can support schools to ensure resiliency. This is in relation
to school safety and preparedness as provided for under DepEd Memo No. 32,
s.2020.
Despite the current situation, the Brigada Eskwela Program shall continue to serve
as one of the Department’s ways to ensure that under the “new normal,” our schools, our
learners, our administrators, our teaching and non-teaching personnel, and our parents
are ready for the school year.
Oplan Balik Eskwela. The Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) is an annual program to
ensure that learners are enrolled and able to attend the school on the first day of classes.
It is a mechanism to address problems, queries, and other concerns commonly
encountered by the public at the start of the school year.
Given the challenges of COVID-19 and the many anticipated questions and
uncertainties, DepEd has extended the period of OBE implementation to run from June 1
to August 29, 2020. The OBE will coordinate and strengthen the synergy with the
Department’s Brigada Eskwela, and engage agencies, organizations, and other
stakeholders towards contributing to the needs of the education sector at this critical time.
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There shall be a localized OBE committee at the RO and SDO levels. The OBE
committee will be led by the RDs and assistant regional directors in the ROs with
representatives from its Public Affairs Unit, Legal Office, Administrative Office, and
other offices that could provide assistance to the activity. The SDS and assistant schools
division superintendent will lead in the SDO level. The RO shall send the list of OBE
committee members in the ROs and SDOs with contact numbers such as mobile, email,
Facebook or Viber for faster communication with the CO. The local OBE in the ROs and
SDOs, with the CO, shall ensure that concerns in their respective areas are properly
addressed.
• Monitor, document, and submit reports on all issues and concerns received
daily, including actions taken, to the OBE-PACC Central Office.
The Public Affairs Service (PAS), in coordination with the Information and
Communication Technology Service (ICTS), shall use an open source OBE ticketing
system for recording of issues and concerns received in the central, regional, and division
offices. A daily report will be generated to summarize concerns received during the day.
This will be forwarded to members of the DepEd ExeCom, while a press briefer
containing highlights of the report will be shared to the media.
D. Legal Context
The 1987 Constitution provides in Article XIV, Section 1 that the “State shall
protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall
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take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.” This right must be
upheld at all times, and DepEd is duty-bound to provide learning opportunities even in
the time of the COVID-19 national emergency. Under Republic Act (RA) No. 9155 or the
Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, DepEd is “vested with authority, accountability
and responsibility for ensuring access to, promoting equity in, and improving the quality
of basic education.”
Article XIV, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution mandates the State to establish and
maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. The
novelty of the COVID-19 emergency equally calls for a novel approach on the delivery of
basic education in the public school system, in which social or physical distancing is
indispensable to health and safety. At the same time, the DepEd acknowledges the
complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational system, as
inscribed in Article XIV, Section 4(1) of the 1987 Constitution, in the particular context of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the restrictions imposed by the “new normal”, the BE-LCP requires
responsive legal frameworks and support. The plan features an adjusted curriculum with
the Most Essential Learning Competencies, which will be delivered in multiple learning
delivery modalities. These multiple learning delivery modalities necessitate the creation,
reproduction, distribution, and use of learning resources consisting of intellectual
properties. The learning resources shall comprise not only the usual textbooks and
teaching guides used by DepEd in normal times, but also learning modules in print,
digital, and broadcasting formats, as well as accessible format copies for PWDs. Thus,
different ways of applying the intellectual property law will be crucial in ensuring that
their creation, reproduction, distribution, and utilization will be in accordance with law,
including but not limited to RA 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of
the Philippines, as amended by RA 10372.
The learning environment under the “new normal” will be very different. The
landscape of child protection and child rights will now encompass not only the physical
school but more extensively, the cyber world and the home as a “school.” The way
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children will enjoy their right to play, leisure, and recreational activities under Article 31
of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, will change. Synergy with
other government agencies such as the Council for the Welfare of Children, international
organizations, NGOs, the academe, and other child rights stakeholders will be crucial to
the respect, protection, and promotion of the various rights of the child in the particular
context of the COVID-19 emergency.
The “new normal” in DepEd will bring with it a different working environment.
Work arrangements and processes shall be modified to follow safety and health
requirements during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the operation and
reexamination, or even augmentation, of laws and rules pertaining to human resources.
Existing laws and rules may be used to address the COVID-19 situation
particularly in relation to DepEd, with the end view of upholding the constitutional and
international rights to education14 and health,15 and promoting the best interest of the
child.16 However, as the BE-LCP and its implementation unfold, it may be necessary to
propose new laws and rules to suit the realities of a continuing COVID-19 public health
emergency.
13 These relevant laws include, but are not limited to, RA 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991;
RA 10121, otherwise known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2012; RA 10821, otherwise
known as the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act; RA 11469, otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as
One Act; Presidential Proclamation No. 922, s. 2020, Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency Throughout the
Philippines; Proclamation No. 929, s. 202, Declaring A State of Calamity Throughout the Philippines Due to Corona Virus
Disease 2019; and EO 112.
14 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 28 (1) provides: “States Parties recognize the right of the
child to education…”
15 The 1987 Constitution provides in Article II, Section 15: “The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the
people…”. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provides in Article 12 (1): “The States
Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health.”
16 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 3(1) provides: “In all actions concerning children, whether
undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies,
the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.”
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E. Finance
The Department shall make necessary adjustments in its operations to meet the
objectives of the BE-LCP. Guided by the directions set forth by the plan, DepEd bureaus,
services and offices are reviewing and assessing programs, activities, and projects and
their corresponding budgets to make them more responsive to the current and post-
COVID-19 scenarios. The available programmed funds shall be maximized,
reprogrammed, or realigned to those programs and activities that would require more
funding support.
While there are existing funds made available to the Department this FY 2020,
there is still a need to provide substantial and additional financial resources from other
known and potential sources of funds. Even as DepEd is trying to make internal
adjustments to cover the funding requirements of the BE-LCP, DepEd is also exploring
the following strategies to address funding gaps:
3. Propose legislation or institute policy measures that will allow ways and
means to facilitate the processing and approval of financial transactions, such
as, but not limited to, the adoption of digital documentation and electronic
signatures;
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All resources generated from both the available annual programmed
appropriations and those that may be sourced from other means shall not be used for
ends which are inconsistent with the Learning Continuity Plan.
F. Communications
The Department is strengthening its new media channels across various online
platforms for quick syndication of important policies and announcements. We are also
focusing on environment scanning for the collection of inputs from stakeholders that will
help inform executive decisions, whether strategic, tactical, or operational. The
convergence of official, allied, and recognized social media channels from the CO, ROs,
SDOs, and schools/CLCs will help reach and engage not only those in urban centers, but
most importantly, our field communicators.
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These communication efforts of PAS for the BE-LCP are anchored on the core
principles of proactive, cooperative, responsive and highly engaged relationships with
the multiple publics of the Department of Education.
To further guide the Department in refining and continuously fleshing out the BE-
LCP, a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework anchored on the Basic Education
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (BEMEF) is being adopted, tailored to the needs
of the learners during this emergency. This framework shall animate the planned
interventions and activities and will show the desired outcomes as we navigate through
the situation.
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OUTCOME / OUTPUTS DESCRIPTION INDICATORS ACCOUNTABLE
OFFICE
Learning resources refer to
the learning materials used
by the learners to achieve
the set learning
competencies and
1.b. Learners received CI bureaus led by
standards. These are, but
the necessary learning Percentage of learners the Bureau of
are not limited to, printed
resources for the receiving learning resources Learning
modules, printed books,
applicable learning per learning delivery modality Resources (BLR),
DepEd Commons, online
delivery modalities ROs; SDOs
modules, and broadcast
modules. These must be in
conjunction with the
adopted learning delivery
modalities.
2. Learners access Ensures that learners’
programs needs, interests, and
Percentage of learners
responsive to their aptitudes are taken into
enrolled in appropriate Planning Service
needs, consistent consideration in developing
programs
with their interest and rolling out learning
and aptitude delivery modalities.
Inclusive education
programs refer to IP Ed,
2.a Learning delivery
Madrasah Education
modalities for inclusive
Program, Special Education Appropriate and relevant
education programs
Program (SPED)/Learner learning delivery modalities for
established CI bureaus
with Special Education inclusive education programs
Needs (LSEN), and special established
interest programs that will
adopt various learning
delivery modalities.
Learning resources refer to
the learning materials used
by the learners to achieve
the set learning
competencies and
2.b. Learners receive
standards. These are, but No. of learners receiving CI bureaus led by
learning resources
not limited to, printed learning resources responsive the BLR; ROs;
responsive to their
modules, books, DepEd to their needs SDOs
learning needs
commons, online modules
and broadcast materials
that are aligned with
inclusive education program
principles.
Ensures that learning
delivery modalities are
learner-friendly and
encourage active
3. Learners actively
participation. These ● Cohort Survival Rate
participate in
modalities shall endeavor to ● Transition Rate Planning Service
different learning
establish systems that are ● School Leaver Rate
delivery modalities
child-friendly, gender-
sensitive, safe, and
motivational, ensuring the
well-being of learners.
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OUTCOME / OUTPUTS DESCRIPTION INDICATORS ACCOUNTABLE
OFFICE
Support systems may refer,
but are not limited to, Appropriate and relevant
Bureau of Learner
feeding programs, learner support systems
3.a Learner support Support Services
psychosocial support, established
systems are established (BLSS), DRRMS,
health and safety
and CI bureaus
measures, and remedial
classes.
3.b Learners receive Refers to the learners that Percentage of learners
BLSS and CI
support from learner received various support receiving support from learner
bureaus
support systems systems. support systems
Ensures that programs and
initiatives benefiting
4. Learners complete learners as they complete ● Completion rate
education and attain the basic education cycle ● Promotion Rate Planning Service
learning standards and other educational ● ALS Completion Rate
interventions are
implemented.
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
● Types of trainings
established
● Percentage of education
leaders trained/
capacitated on emergency
planning
Ensures sufficient provision
• No. of learning resources
and equitable distribution of Finance Service,
procured
2. Investments in the education resources during Administrative
LCP provides the pandemic. Funding Service,
• No. of learning resources
learners with decisions also recognize Procurement
developed
options for their the gaps and immediate Management
required learning measures that need to be Service,
delivery modalities considered in prioritizing • No. of learning resources Planning Service,
resources in the midst of produced CI bureaus
competing education
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OUTCOME / OUTPUTS DESCRIPTION INDICATORS ACCOUNTABLE
OFFICE
priorities to achieve equity
and impact.
3. Internal systems
and processes
Enhances internal systems • Disbursement rate
serve learners
and processes to efficiently Finance and
efficiently through
and effectively deliver basic • Timely delivery of procured Administration
continuous
education services. projects
monitoring and
feedback
Ensures collaborative
engagement with key
stakeholders to achieve the Percentage of financial External
LCP. This collaboration will contribution of development Partnership
4. Key stakeholders
be delivered through partners over the total national Service;
actively collaborate
functional mechanisms to education budget for the fiscal Program
to serve learners
make partnership building year Management
and linkages more strategic Service
and aligned to LCP
priorities.
The decision to open classes on August 24, 2020 shall allow the resumption of
learning by our students. This will have long-term positive impact and is clearly superior
to losing an entire school year if we wait for the full containment of COVID-19.
UNESCO17 points out that prolonged school disruptions are associated with
various negative impacts on children. The longer that marginalized children are out of
school, the less likely they are to return. UNESCO also notes the risk of teenage pregnancy
and sexual exploitation, and that prolonged closures disrupt essential school-based
services such as immunization, school feeding, and mental health and psychosocial
support, and can cause stress and anxiety due to the loss of peer interaction and disrupted
routines.
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Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of School-Based Feeding Program for School Years
2017-2022, the SBFP primarily aims to address undernutrition by serving nutritious meals
to undernourished learners for at least 120 days in a year. RA 11469, otherwise known as
the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, has identified the SBFP as a measure addressing COVID-
19 and beneficial to children.
The commitment to continue providing education to our learners during this time
of pandemic shall catalyze technological upgrades and innovations in learning resources
and platforms. As discussed in more detail in another section of this document, a number
of previously independent blended learning initiatives shall now be consolidated and
strategically deployed by DepEd on a large scale.
In a study on the factors that influence the use of technology in the context of the
Australian AID tablet computer programme in nine schools in the Philippines, Lumagbas
et al.18 found that leaders’ openness to using ICT Tools, a shared vision on the purpose of
using ICT in education, and an open and responsive school culture are key drivers of
successful integration of technology in learning. This BE-LCP, with the capacity building
programs and other related initiatives it brings, can potentially create these factors for the
country’s entire school system.
However, there are major issues that will need to be addressed in the
implementation of the BE-LCP. One key issue is equity in terms of learners’ access to
technology, gadgets, and household support to learning. Learners who do not have
internet access at home will still have printed modules and textbooks for independent
learning, but these learners will have limited opportunities for interaction with their
teachers and classmates.
18Jedaiah Joel Lumagbas, Wally Smith, Esther Care & Claire Scoular (2019) Tablet computers in Philippine public schools:
School-level factors that influence technology management and use, Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 28:1, 73-89,
DOI: 10.1080/1475939X.2019.1572535
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On the security aspect, in times of uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19
pandemic, UNESCO IIEP 19 has emphasized the need to put to rest any public doubt or
fear as school reopens. As such, it is crucial that the Department effectively addresses the
climate of fear among students, parents, and communities. There may likewise be
resistance among certain sections of teachers. In response to these, DepEd intends to be
transparent in its communication, and shall correct the spread of misinformation, consult
with its internal and external stakeholders, respond to queries and concerns raised, and
strengthen its assistance and support to teachers.
The BE-LCP has put in place several mechanisms to attend to these areas of
concern. The first is the conduct of the annual Oplan Balik Eskwela and Brigada Eskwela,
which are scheduled for activation from June 1 to August 29, 2020. In light of COVID-19,
both have been reconfigured to establish readiness of the school facilities, learners,
teaching and nonteaching personnel, school administrators, and the community in time
for school opening on August 24, 2020 and the implementation of the BE-LCP.
Another existing mechanism is the DepEd Task Force COVID-19, which is tasked
to lead the Department’s overall efforts in addressing COVID-19. The Task Force shall
make policy recommendations and oversee operations, while also providing Daily
Situation Reports for monitoring and quick response.
DepEd has already made significant strides in education access and was already
pivoting to shift its focus on quality. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced
other strains of inequities to the education system, including connectivity, cost of mobile
use, bandwidth, digital capacity, availability of and capacity for providing learning
support at home, and physical availability of parents/learning facilitators who may be
daily wage earners and need to be at work.
Although reforms remain anchored on the four pillars of Sulong EduKalidad, the
discourse on quality education and approach towards achieving this have been altered.
For instance, streamlining the curriculum to prioritize durable and relevant competencies
19UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) (2020) Plan for School Reopening. Retrieved from:
http://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/plan-school-reopening
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has been accelerated in light of the challenges of remote learning. Moreover, community
quarantine has drastically redefined the learning environment, that is, from physical to
virtual and distance learning spaces.
On the aspect of capacity building of teachers and school leaders, skills that need
to be strengthened such as resilience, adaptability, resource management, technological
literacy, and crisis response have become more pronounced in the face of the evolving
roles as well as competing priorities of teachers and school leaders. In other words, the
Sulong EduKalidad reforms are happening a lot faster than expected, with new
dimensions, but also with different roadblocks that must be overcome.
With the BE-LCP, DepEd has demonstrated three interconnected capacities that
are significantly linked to the future: INNOVATION, AGILITY, and SYNERGY.
Innovation means formulating superior solutions that have greater social or economic
impact. Agility refers to the ability to move quickly and gracefully, while synergy is a
collaboration that creates an output greater or bigger than the sum of the individual
contributions. The BE-LCP shows that adversities can be overcome because there is
always a solution. It may be a matter of looking through different perspectives and
sometimes, diverging from conventional approaches, but problems can be solved
through innovation.
The speed by which an innovation can be launched matters a lot. Those who are
agile, who are nimble and fast enough to adapt, would have a head start compared to
others and would therefore have more time for fine-tuning their ideas. In contrast, there
are voices preferring to cling to the past, calling on DepEd to freeze in time and wait for
things to normalize before moving.
Sulong EduKalidad, the current BE-LCP, and the futures of Philippine education are
unified by three goals for and with every learner: agency and self-actualization, work
readiness, and responsible citizenship. In the immediate future, the threat of virus
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transmission persists, and job insecurity becomes high. More than ever, the pandemic has
shown that multiliteracies such as information, scientific, health, financial, and civic
literacies are important for people to thrive in crisis. When citizens have these literacies
fully functioning, they have a better understanding of how the spread can be contained.
They are more critical of information credibility. They have a sharper sense of social
responsibility and are more capable of dealing with financial shocks. As businesses try to
recover from losses due to the pandemic, layoffs due to redundancy are expected, and
there is greater risk for low-skilled workers. In addition, employers are more likely to
outsource or subcontract some tasks to cut costs, which gives rise to the gig economy or
short-term jobs, most of which can be done online. Changes in the employment landscape
emphasize the importance of higher-order skills, technological skills, and the ability to
work with greater autonomy.
To fully connect the BE-LCP to the future, enduring literacies and skills need to be
highlighted in learning delivery modalities, technologies, strategies, resources,
assessment, and in teacher/school leader capacity building. Furthermore, its components
can be expanded to include knowledge mobilization, science of learning, and analytics.
Knowledge mobilization will facilitate the translation of actionable knowledge. The
science of learning will provide insights on how learners develop competencies,
expertise, and dispositions in either physical or virtual learning spaces. On the other
hand, analytics will introduce techniques and tools for collecting, interpreting, and
communicating data to ensure evidence-driven decision-making. More importantly, the
BE-LCP has to be guided by life-long, life-wide, life-deep, and life-wise learning
principles.20 These principles connect learning to a purpose (life-long), to the real-world
(life-wide), to mastery and greater autonomy (life-deep), and to practical wisdom, ethics,
values, morals, and dispositions (life-wise).
Just last March 2020, two major DepEd ongoing events involving a large number
of students from around the country - the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) and
National Festival of Talents (NFOT) - overlapped with the start of the Luzon-wide
Enhanced Community Quarantine, and participants faced difficulties travelling back to
their respective regions due to travel restrictions. Through strong and expeditious
coordination with various national and local authorities and offices, the Department was
able to bring the delegates safely back to their homes, and was able to undertake the close
monitoring of the health conditions of all delegates during the precautionary period.
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DepEd and its teachers have also been at the frontlines of every national and local
election, ensuring its honest, orderly, peaceful, and credible conduct. Our schools have
been used as polling stations, and teachers have been deputized to serve crucial roles
despite the demands and challenges that election season entails.
DepEd has provided response actions during major calamities. In just the past nine
months, we have dealt with four major occurrences: Cotabato Earthquakes (October 16–
31, 2019), Typhoon Tisoy (November 24–December 6, 2019), Typhoon Ursula (December
19–29, 2019), and Taal Eruption (January 12, 2020). Through the response systems
instituted by the Department, learners, personnel, and schools were provided with
support for repairs, psychological first aid, and temporary learning spaces. Partnerships
have also been leveraged to provide support to DepEd’s efforts to ensure learning
continuity.
DepEd has a working governance system from the Central Office to the field. This
will enable it to translate a complex plan into operational actions at all governance levels.
While COVID-19 is a problem, it is also an opportunity. DepEd will not sit by idly to miss
the opportunities that COVID-19 brings.
Learning opportunities shall be available, and learning shall continue in the time
of COVID-19. Sulong EduKalidad!
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